Unknown Location, Mountains
A redhead, clearly displeased, slowly ascended the steep slope of a mountain shrouded in thick mist. The cold wind bit at her face, and her boots sank slightly into the rocky ground, her firm steps echoing softly.
"What don't I do for love?" she muttered to herself, adjusting the coat she wore. Even as a vampire, the mountain's cold was far worse than the usual chill… sothing truly strange.
With every step, she felt the weight of the altitude pressing on her lungs, but her crimson eyes glowed with determination.
Scarlet was looking for sothing—or rather, soone.
She adjusted the black helt and the cape billowing in the wind, sighing as she looked at the peak, which seed so far away. Despite the difficulties, a faint smile crossed her face as she rembered why she was there.
As she had promised Strax, she was now seeking out an old acquaintance who loved to stay away from everyone and everything—a certain dwarf she really didn't want to see. But again… what wouldn't she do for love, right?
"This is going to take a while… I'd better try…" Scarlet said, but just as she thought about flying toward the peak, she didn't even leave the ground.
"Damn dwarf… flight protection system?" she growled in frustration but sighed. "Great… looks like I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way." She then began to climb, walking steadily up the mountain.
Hours Later, at the Mountain's Peak
Scarlet finally reached the summit, the thin air making her breathing heavy. She paused for a mont to catch her breath, observing the scene before her. A forge was embedded in the rocky mountainside, glowing intensely like a beacon in the mist. The rhythmic sound of a hamr striking tal echoed through the area, accompanied by the pulsing heat of a roaring fire.
'Flight Protection System, Mana Protection System, Beast Protection System… Are you that scared?' she thought bitterly. She had been forced to climb the traditional way; even her mana couldn't be used to enhance her body for a quicker ascent.
In the center of the forge stood the dwarf. Small in stature but colossal in presence, he worked tirelessly. His bare torso revealed rigid muscles marked by scars from ancient battles. His long, braided beard swayed with each strike he delivered to the glowing steel, sparks flying around him like shooting stars.
He didn't seem to notice Scarlet's presence imdiately, or perhaps he simply didn't care. His work consud his full attention.
Scarlet approached cautiously, admiring the smith's craftsmanship. He was shaping a blade—a sword with an ethereal glow, as if it were alive.
"Impressive," Scarlet said, her soft voice breaking the mountain's silence.
The dwarf stopped, but he didn't look up. He continued hamring the blade, as if he hadn't heard her. Only after a few more strikes did he plunge the steel into a basin of water, sending a cloud of steam billowing around the forge.
He then turned to Scarlet, his gaze as heavy as the steel he worked.
"You should've warned you were coming… So, what do you want here, Scarlet Vermillion?" he asked, his voice deep and gruff, like stone scraping against stone.
Scarlet took a step forward, the cold breeze making her cape flutter dramatically. "Can't I co to reminisce about old tis with a friend?" she teased, though the dwarf wasn't amused. "Alright, I need your skills."
The dwarf narrowed his eyes, crossing his muscular arms. "It's always the sa. Humans and their requests. Weapons, armor, relics… everyone wants sothing from . But why should I waste my ti on you, vampire?"
"Because what I want to create isn't sothing ordinary," Scarlet replied with an enigmatic smile. "And you're not soone who settles for the ordinary, are you, Baskev?"
Baskev raised an eyebrow, now intrigued but still skeptical. He gestured for her to continue.
"I want to create life," Scarlet said, her words firm like a vow. "Homunculi, perfect beings made of flesh and magic. But to do that, I need a craftsman who can forge the vessels—artificial bodies worthy of holding souls."
Baskev let out a guttural laugh, shaking his head. "Life? You think you can play god, girl? Think creating life is as simple as forging iron?"
"I don't think it's simple," Scarlet replied, her expression serious. "If it were, I wouldn't have climbed this mountain to find you."
The dwarf studied her for a mont, his eyes assessing her as if determining her worth. Finally, he sat on a wooden bench nearby, wiping the sweat from his brow with a thick cloth.
"Even if I agreed, creating sothing like that would require absurd resources. Ordinary steel wouldn't do. I'd need magical tals, ancient runes… and sothing to give the homunculus life. Honestly, a lot of patience too. What can you offer in return?"
Scarlet smirked faintly. She had anticipated this question. With a graceful motion, she pulled a black feather from her pocket and held it out before the dwarf. A Black Phoenix feather.
The dwarf's eyes widened briefly, but he quickly masked his surprise with a neutral expression. "Interesting. But even so, you're asking for sothing monuntal. I don't work for just anyone."
"Black Phoenix feathers, capable of transforming artificial bodies into living ones," Scarlet explained, her tone confident, just as Strax had explained it to her earlier. "The most powerful material in existence, and you're telling you don't want to use it?" Her words dripped with the temptation of a true demon.
"Besides…" Scarlet continued, her voice unwavering. "I'm not just anyone, and you know it. Look at . I'm offering you a chance to create sothing no one else in the world could even dream of. You'll beco part of sothing immortal."
The dwarf fell silent, his fingers tapping on the armrest of the chair. Finally, he stood, walking back toward the forge.
"Alright, Scarlet," he said, picking up his hamr again. "I'll consider your proposal. But know this: I work my way, on my ti. And if you get in my way or try to deceive …" He spun the hamr in his hands, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. "You won't like what happens."
"I wouldn't expect anything less from soone like you," Scarlet replied, her smile widening.
The dwarf sighed and pointed to a stone bench in the corner of the forge. "Sit down, then. Let's talk details."
anwhile...
"Evelyn, can you hear ?" Strax spoke toward a floating crystal ball in front of him, a magical communication device emitting a faint blue glow. He was in his makeshift office, trying to get in touch with Evelyn Parker, an elven alchemist he had t so ti ago.
There was a brief pause before the response ca, filled with her usual energy: "S-Strax?!" Her voice sounded surprised, but quickly overflowed with excitent. "Oh, Strax! It's been so long!!" Even though he couldn't see her directly, Strax could almost imagine the expression on her face—probably her erald eyes sparkling with joy and a wide smile on her face.
He smiled lightly, relaxing back into his chair. "How have you been, princess?"
"I'm good!" Evelyn responded enthusiastically. "Things here in Sylvandor are finally improving! The spirits are more present, the energy is flowing better… it seems like the World Tree is slowly regaining its vitality!"
Strax tilted his head, recalling the ti when she had begged for help restoring the Spirit Dwelling. Although he hadn't done much at that ti, he genuinely felt pleased to hear that things were improving for her. "I'm glad to hear that. You've always worked hard to help Sylvandor thrive again."
On the other end, Evelyn sounded emotional. "Thank you, Strax. You always know just what to say!"
He chuckled quietly, but then his tone shifted, becoming slightly more serious. "So..."
"Is it ti to create the homunculi?" Evelyn asked excitedly, her voice rising with enthusiasm. "I've been waiting for this!!"
Strax blinked, a bit surprised by her anticipation. "Ah, I haven't even—"
"You have no idea how much I've studied, Strax!" Evelyn continued, her words tumbling out with excitent. "I've spent sleepless nights! I figured out how to create synthetic skin with perfect elasticity, functional muscles, and even fat! Do you know how complicated it is to replicate fat? But I did it! Oh, and there's more! I also developed a thod to synthesize blood, even with magical properties! Imagine what we could do with that!"
He laughed, raising his hands in surrender, even though she couldn't see him. "Calm down, Evelyn. Breathe a little."
She paused for a second and nervously laughed. "Ah, sorry, I got a little carried away again, huh?"
"Just a bit," he replied, still smiling. "But it's good to know you're so prepared. This will be essential for what I want to create."
Evelyn seed to regain her focus. "So, what exactly do you have in mind, Strax? I've thought about several possibilities for the homunculi, but I need to know the details to adjust everything."
"Perfect homunculi," he said calmly, though his voice carried an air of ambition. "Not just puppets with limited functions, but artificial beings that are as close to humans as possible—or even better. I want them to be able to hold powerful souls and use magic at levels that even common mortals can't reach."
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if Evelyn were absorbing every word.
"That's... quite bold," she said finally. "But I think it's exactly the kind of challenge I love. It'll be complicated, of course, but with the right resources and a bit of luck, we can get there."
"Do you have any idea where to start?" Strax asked, leaning slightly forward.
"I do! But first, I need to co to you, where are you right now?" she asked.
"In the Vampire Kingdom..." he answered.
"Eh??!!" Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire
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